the first time in Europe, is here figured in the Boranican 
Macaznu. Lastly, there are at Kew five living plants of 
~the “real Sarsaparilla of Caraccas,” sent in 1879 by 
Dr. Ernst of that city, which, however, have never 
flowered. 
Of all the plants here alluded to the flowers of one alone 
are known, and these are the males only of Mr. Williams’ 
S. macrophylla (S. officinalis of Hanbury). It is therefore — 
impossible to say positively whether more than two species 
are alluded to, and as a last resource, resort must be had 
to stem and leavesalone. For this purpose I have collected 
all the materials available to me, which consist of (1) 
Mr. Hanbury’s collections, kindly lent for the purpose by 
the Pharmaceutical Society through Mr. Holmes; (2) 
tracings of Humboldt’s specimens of Kunth’s SV. officinalis, 
which are preserved in the Herbarium of the Jardin de 
Plantes, Paris, made for me by favour of M. Bureau, and 
there is a similar tracing made by Mr. Hanbury in his col- 
lection ; (3) a tracing of Bonpland’s specimens, gathered 
at the same time and in the same spot as his companion’s 
(Humboldt’s); (4) a leaf of Warzewicz’s plant from 
Cheriqui; (5) the two species (Williams’ and Ernst’s) 
cultivated at Kew. Commencing with the tracings of 
Humboldt’s specimens, these represent a terete branch, a 
leaf exactly corresponding with that of Mr. Wilhams’ 
plant, but along with them is represented a detached 
elliptic-lanceolate leaf, acute at the base, whilst the tracing 
of Bonpland’s specimens represents only two slender 
branches with all the leaves elliptic-lanceolate and acute at 
the base. From this it would appear that Kunth’s 
S. officinalis bears leaves of both forms. Unfortunately 
for the identification of Mr. Williams’ plant with Kunth’s, 
the latter has 4 angled branches and bears no elliptic 
leaves, either on young plants growing in the Economic 
House, or in specimens 40 ft. high growing in the Palm 
House ; and this precludes my identifying it with Kunth’s 
S. officinalis. On the other hand, Dr. Ernst’s Caraccas 
plant has the upper leaves of the branches like those of the 
tracings of officinalis, whilst the lower leaves would appear 
to be less broad and less deeply cordate. In the latter 
respect the leaf of Hrnst’s plant best accords with War- 
zewiez’s Cheriqui Sarsaparilla ; and a leaf of Warzewicz’s 
A 2 
